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Events for Saturday, August 29, 2020 › Science
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Current Temporary Museum Exhibits & Art Installations Around Houston
Greater Houston boasts some of the finest, and some of the quirkiest, museums and art installations in the nation. And many of them play host to curated and traveling showcases of art, history, science, and ingenuity—including many kid-friendly options. Click here to view our full and detailed list of temporary exhibits and installations currently on […]Find out more »


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Welcome to Paleontological Ground Monument Preservation in Westphalia-Lippe
Fossilized treasures – Preserve, care, discover, document and maintain!
Outstanding and unique fossils have been saved from destruction by the LWL-Museum of Natural History since 1980.
In most German states paleontological objects are protected by law. That is also the case in North Rhine-Westphalia. According to preservation laws in the state animal and plant relicts of geological eras, that means fossils, can be preserved as ground monuments since 1980. Ever since, the LWL-Museum of Natural History in Münster has assumed the job of paleontological ground monument preservation in Westphalia-Lippe.

subset: commoncrawl


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Bill would exempt some disabled veterans from property taxes
Relief would be granted to veterans disabled in combat
A proposal in Concord would grant property-tax relief to veterans who are disabled because of combat injuries.
Republican Senate President Peter Bragdon said other states have implemented similar plans.
"We are talking about a complete exemption from property taxes for those who, because of a service-connected disability, do not have the ability to work," Bragdon said.
Under the bill, a veteran would have to be 100 percent permanently disabled because combat-related injuries. It would benefit about 1,300 veterans statewide.
The estimated cost would be about $3 million -- a cost spread among cities and towns, which has raised opposition.
"When you have exemptions in the tax base, you have less tax base to spread appropriations across, and that leads, in most cases, to an increase in the tax rate," said Hudson assistant assessor Jim Michaud.
Because of that, the New Hampshire Municipal Association is opposed to the bill.
"There is pressure on the local property tax, especially as we are coming out of a recession," said Barbara Reid of the New Hampshire Municipal Association. "And we are not really seeing property values go up that much yet, so there's pressure all around."
Some have suggested that the bill be amended to allow for a local option, giving individual towns the choice to participate based on their budget needs.
Bragdon said he doesn't see the proposal as being unfair to other taxpayers.
"I guess I would counter by saying the people in town who did not give up their ability to work for the rest of their life because of a service-connected disability from protecting us would have to pay more," he said.
The Senate committee that heard testimony on the bill is expected to make its recommendation to the full Senate in the coming weeks.


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Courage to Speak
Talk Postponed Amid Intolerance Accusations
NEW YORK — A New York City Catholic high school recently postponed an address on homosexuality, responding to critics who turned to Facebook and local media to accuse the speaker of fostering intolerance toward students with same-sex attraction.
The furor was sparked by news that Father Donald Timone, a retired priest in the New York Archdiocese, who has been affiliated with the Courage apostolate — which helps people with same-sex attraction live chaste lives according to Church teaching — had been invited to speak to parents at Cardinal Spellman High School in the Bronx.
And while the school's president described the canceled address as a postponement, the news underscored the difficulty of transmitting hard truths in a shifting, often hostile, culture, as Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York noted.
"It seems that no one can talk of virtue anymore without, at the very least, being labeled out of touch with reality, and in this case, accused of far worse — spreading hatred," Cardinal Dolan observed in a Nov. 25 op-ed in the New York Daily News that addressed the attacks against Father Timone and Courage, which was founded by Cardinal Terence Cooke of New York in 1980.
"But didn't Jesus promise, 'Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God' (Matthew 5:8)? A pure heart is a chaste heart, a heart that loves others for who they are and not simply for what they can do or how they can satisfy me," Cardinal Dolan added.
The New York archbishop argued that the protestors, not the Church, were being intolerant. And it was striking that protestors used social media to influence the internal policies of a Catholic school, just as political activists now employ Facebook to bombard their opponents and shore up grassroots support in legislative battles.
"For individuals and groups to bully, to threaten, to protest, when a priest seeks to explain this timeless and timely message to parents who invited him to do so, is a scary precedent. We have gone from the days when the plea from some activists was 'All we want is to live our lives in peace' to 'You shall not have the right to present your teaching,'" stated Cardinal Dolan.
Joseph Zwilling, a spokesman for the Archdiocese of New York, told the Register that Cardinal Spellman High School, like other secondary schools that once had been formally administered by the archdiocese, is now independent, with its own board and governance structure.
Cardinal Spellman's board of trustees is expected to review the incident at its upcoming meeting, and Zwilling said there were no archdiocesan plans to intervene in the controversy.
But he added, "Our education department here at the archdiocese, and in fact the whole chancery, is available to any school seeking guidance … in scheduling" future presentations on the work of Courage.
As the outgoing president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic bishops, Cardinal Dolan has grown used to publicly defending Catholic teaching on homosexual relations and resisting efforts to change the nation's marriage laws. But opinion polls suggest young Catholics are increasingly likely to view moral norms as hurtful and unrealistic.
Divided School Community
Further, media coverage of the battle to prevent Father Timone's address exposed fissures within the school community, suggesting that acceptance of Catholic sexual ethics was shaky among students and some of their elders as well.
The president of Cardinal Spellman High School, Father Trevor Nicholls, insisted that the school has not rescinded its invitation to Father Timone.
"The board of trustees was approached by critics of the idea of having this talk, and some members expressed concerns about Courage and also the advisability of having a presentation on a 'controversial issue,'" Father Nicholls told the Register.
"I thought their fears were misplaced, but there wasn't time to allay those concerns, so I thought it best to wait until the next board meeting to deal with the issues."
In a public statement released after the furor erupted, Father Nicholls strongly supported both Father Timone and the work of Courage.
"Father Timone is a priest ordained well over 50 years, now retired, who spent most of his priestly ministry in Catholic education at both [the] high school and college level," said Father Nichols.
"His work with adolescents and young adults has brought blessings to many lives, since his approach, like that of the Courage organization, is spiritual, supportive and affirming."
According to the Daily News, word of Father Timone's scheduled address before the school's parent group prompted "Bronx gay-rights groups and one out-and-proud graduate of Spellman" to target the priest and Courage, describing its message as "pray away the gay."
One alumnus, Clinton Leupp, 48, told the Daily News, "They are trying to shame these kids!" The Daily News reported that "Leupp — better known as Miss Coco Peru — graduated from Spellman in 1983 and has performed cabaret shows in drag for more than 20 years."
After the event was postponed, Tym Moss of the Bronx LGBTQ Center issued a statement calling for "a constructive dialogue with the school to talk about LGBTQ issues in ways that won't cause harm."
The Courage Approach
Courage members reject any suggestion that they seek to "pray away the gay" or focus on "conversion therapy" that seeks to overcome unwanted same-sex attraction, though members are free to seek out such assistance.
The Courage website describes the apostolate as an international "spiritual support" group, with more than 100 chapters that receive some financial assistance from the Archdiocese of New York and the Diocese of Bridgeport, Conn.
"In helping individuals gain a greater understanding and appreciation of the Church's teachings, especially in the area of chastity, Courage extends the Church's invitation to a life of peace and grace. In chaste living, one finds the peace and grace to grow in Christian maturity," states a message describing the mission of Courage.
Reflecting on the resistance to Church teaching on homosexuality in the culture, Father Paul Check, a priest of the Diocese of Bridgeport who leads the Courage apostolate, told the Register, "It is not controversial to address the virtues of truthfulness or mercy or justice, while the virtue of chastity is different. It is not welcomed as part of the Good News.
"But the Church cannot change her teaching, because human nature cannot change. She says that if you live a chaste life, you will live a peaceful life, even if the struggle of chastity is demanding. If we live a life of un-chastity it will be in some way to the detriment of our physical, emotional and psychological well-being."
"The Church says that with the wisdom of a mother," he added, "and she is trying to protect people from suffering, sadness, disappointment and misery."
Members of Courage, he said, "bear that out in their own testimonials, which confirm that chastity is the only road to peace and fulfillment for every person, according to their state in life."
Dan Mattson's Testimony
As Catholic high schools address the issue of students self-identifying as "gay" at younger ages, Courage members like Dan Mattson are often asked to share their own stories in classroom settings.
Mattson is a professional musician in west Michigan who told the Register that he "came back to the Catholic Church because of its teachings on homosexuality."
When Mattson meets with students, his testimony touches on his own struggle to understand and address his attraction to men. And he celebrates Church teaching on homosexuality and chastity "as good news — not onerous. This is the way we would choose to live if we truly knew who we were as men and women made in the image and likeness of God."
During the question-and-answer segment of his talks, Mattson said, he is often bombarded with remarks that register students' doubts, frustration and ignorance.
"There are a lot of teens who are very angry at the Church and think it's behind the times," said Mattson, who blogs about same-sex attraction and the Church at LetterstoChristopher.wordpress.com.
"Kids who love the Catholic Church don't feel adequately prepared to propose the teaching as good news or respond to friends who have 'come out' in a loving manner."
Father Dan Kogut, the chaplain of Powers Catholic High School in the Diocese of Lansing, Mich., confirmed that Mattson has helped students at the school be "more open to Church teaching."
Father Kogut suggested that Mattson's testimonial also showed students that persons with same-sex attraction do "belong" in the Church and at Powers.
"While there are many voices strongly opposed to the Church's teaching that easily find support and encouragement in the public sphere, there is a whole other group of people who recognize the teaching as liberating. Their voice is rarely heard," said Father Check.
"Many more in Catholic high schools would come to see that what the Church proposes is helpful — if we could only put a face on the teaching."
- Keywords:
- Dec. 29, 2013-Jan. 11, 2014


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Amy and Matthew Sweeney Arrested For Felony Child Abuse In Bristow, Va.
BRISTOW, Va. (WUSA) -- A boy ran away from home after his parents beat him, Prince William County Police said on Thursday.
The boy was found at around 1:00 a.m. on the 9200 Block of Glen Meadow Lane in Bristow, early Wednesday morning, ringing a doorbell, police said.
"Caller reported to police that the victim, an 8 year old boy, had rang their doorbell and appeared to be lost. Fire & Rescue were called to check on the child who appeared to have severe bruising all over his body consistent with physical abuse. The child was transported to the Western District Station until parents could be located," police said in a news release.
Amy Kathleen Sweeney, 41, of Bristow, called the police at around 5:30 a.m. to report the boy missing, police said. That's when police responded to the home and arrested her and her husband, Matthew Sweeney, 39, for child abuse.
"The investigation further revealed that the abuse has been occurring on a constant basis. Detectives from the Physical Abuse Unit obtained warrants against both accused individuals who were arrested without incident. The victim has since been removed from the household and is in the custody of Child Protective Services," police said.
In addition to Felony Child Abuse charges, the Sweeneys have also been charged with Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor charges. Both are being held on $20,000 bond.
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HIRSCH, LEVIN JOSEPH:(Redirected from LYON, HART.)
German physician; born at Schottland, near Danzig, 1758; died at Königsberg May 29, 1823. Destined by his parents for a commercial career, he worked for three years as a clerk in a small business house, but studied privately during that time, though under great difficulties. In 1785 he entered the University of Königsberg, where he studied medicine (M.D. 1791, his dissertation being "De Necrosi Ossium"). In 1793 he became prosector in the anatomical section; in 1795, docent; in 1805, director of the Entbindungsund Hebammen-Lehr-Institut at the Königsberg University. When, as a result of the French invasion, the funds of the institute had been confiscated, and its existence as an institution imperiled, Hirsch provided the means necessary for its continuance. Hirsch rendered great services during the war, and was rewarded by the King of Prussia with the title (1808) of "Medicinalrath" and the gift of a diamond ring.
- Jolowicz, Gesch. der Juden in Königsberg, 1807, pp. 117-118.


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The 65th annual Emmys delivered a string of stunning upsets (Jeff Daniels over Brian Cranston? Really?!), inexplicable dance numbers and breathless acceptance speeches. It also dedicated an unprecedented chunk of airtime to pay tribute to five late TV talents, not all of which were well-received.
"The Sopranos'" James Gandolfini, "All in the Family's" Jean Stapleton, "Family Ties" creator Gary David Goldberg, comedian Jonathan Winters and "Glee's" Cory Monteith each got a eulogy – all touching, some tearful.
But Jack Klugman's son took as an insult the fact that his father wasn't recognized but Monteith was.
"I think it's criminal," Adam Klugman told the Associated Press.
Jack Klugman, who starred in "The Odd Couple" and "Quincy," won three Emmys in his lifetime.
"My dad was at the inception of television and helped build it in the early days," Klugman said. "It's an insult and it really seems typical of this youth-centric culture that has an extremely short attention span and panders to only a very narrow demographic."
Jack Klugman was honored in a group remembrance with other Emmy nominees who died last year, including Larry Hagman of "Dallas" and Charles Durning of "Evening Shade."
Monteith, who was never nominated for an Emmy, died at the age of 31 this summer of a heroin overdose. Adam Klugman said his accomplishments didn't merit that kind of recognition.
"What about the people who should be introduced to somebody like my father?" he told the AP. "I don't mean to say anything disparaging about Cory, but he was a kid who had won no Emmys and it was a self-induced tragedy."
That part of the statement came off as somewhat callous toward those who suffer from the disease of addiction. In her eulogy for Monteith, Jane Lynch didn't hide the fact that her young co-star battled some formidable demons.
"His death is a tragic reminder of the rapacious, senseless destruction that is brought upon by addiction," she told the audience.
Edie Falco delivered a tearful tribute to her "Sopranos" husband Gandolfini, who died at 51 this summer from a heart attack.
"His portrayal of Tony Soprano had such depth and dimension that a lot of people still have a hard time believing that's not who he really was," Falco said. "Well, I'm here to tell you, Jim was really quite different. He had tremendous warmth and heart. He was kind and uniquely generous."
She recounted his love for friends and family. Then, she started to cry.
"You all knew James Gandolfini, the actor," she says, choking back tears. "But I was lucky enough to know Jim, the man – for 10 years as his close colleague, pretend life partner and for many more years as his friend. And it's Jim the man, a very dear man, that I will miss most of all."
Here's Gandolfini's tribute:
And here's Monteith's:
Find Jennifer Wadsworth on Twitter at @jennwadsworth.


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Improvising the Mingus School: Session One, March 16-19 2016 : The Jazz Workshop for Radical Poetics / We done worked a Root
WEDNESDAY 3/16 : Listening as a form
6:30 – 8:30pm With Fred Moten, Harmony Holiday, Feliz Molina, Pablo Lopez, and some raw coconuts on deck
Close listening to Nesuhi Ertegun's interview with Mingus along with LPs :
- Black Saint and the Sinner Lady
- Ah, Um
- We Insist! Freedom Now Suite (Max Roach, Abbey Lincoln)
- Black Spirits (Amiri Baraka)
Thursday 3/17
6 – 8pm
Screening: Life is a Saxophone (Documentary on LA poet Kamau Daaood)
Discussion of Horace Tapscott and Post Central Ave Jazz heyday Collectives, Community Theater, Jazz and Poetics working together in Black Arts and the telos from then to now's iterations in the form of albums like Kendrick Lamar's most recent.
Friday 3/18
5 – 8pm
Mingus Sessions with Paul Vangelisti, workshop and listening
Saturday 3/19
6 – 8pm
Screening of Jackie McLean's Life on Mars
Sun Ra Listening Session post and Mythscience Impossible Events ephemera showing


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Owning properties for rent is an exciting venture, with a lot of things to think about, but one thing you cannot neglect is the safety of your tenants. If you have properties in EC2 Bishopsgate that you are renting out with gas appliances and most likely a boiler, then you MUST be in possession of a Gas Safety certificate. To be issued with a reliable and highly regarded Gas Safety certificate, you should call us here at Gas Safety Landlords!
Here at Gas Safety Landlords, we only hire Corgi registered, trained gas engineers to gas check your EC2 Bishopsgate property, making sure that all the gas appliances in your property are up-to-code with our high standards, and that gas safety is not an issue in the home. Here at Gas Safety Landlords, we know how dangerous gas appliances can be, and we make sure that when we are gas servicing a property, we leave no stone unturned.
To have a Gas Safety Landlords certificate is a legal requirement, and if you are found without one you will be fined, so why pay the price for something that can be so easily avoided? Here at Gas Safety Landlords we make sure that we give you a quick and efficient service at a time that is most convenient for you, as our EC2 Bishopsgate clients' satisfaction is our number one priority.
However, if you have any other kind of gas appliance issue that needs our TLC, such as a gas hob installation, a gas oven disconnection or a dual fuel cooker removal, there is no one else that can do these jobs as well as us! So call us today on (0) 208 951 6828 | 333 320 0451. Or email us as at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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The cheapest form of energy is the one you don't produce
Jim McCarty
note: Across the state, electric rates are on the rise. This
is the ninth in a series explaining why this is taking place
and what you can do to help manage your energy bill.
• August
2007 — "Great growth means
rising rates."
September 2007 — "The high costs of cleaner air."
• October 2007 — "The need for more baseload."
• November 2007 — "When time is money."
• December 2007 — "Unconventional kilowatts."
• January 2008 — "Spend now, save later."
• February 2008 — "What about transmission?"
• March 2008 — "The high price of fuel"
• April 2008 — "Negawatts"
• May 2008 — "The glass half full"
The electricity you use comes from a variety of sources including coal, natural gas, wind and water. All of these generation sources have advantages and disadvantages.
Coal is lower-cost, and the U.S. has an abundance of it. But coal has emissions issues. Gas burns cleaner but is more expensive than coal. Wind and water are clean. But they also are not as dependable as other sources.
What's needed is a source of power that is reliable, clean and inexpensive. Fortunately, such a source exists. It's called "negawatts," a term coined by Amory Lovins of the Rocky Mountain Institute. In Lovins' words, "There's no cheaper or cleaner power than the power you don't produce."
In a nutshell, negawatts is electricity that was never needed. It's a concept electric co-ops have pushed for years — only they called it "energy efficiency."
In March, cooperatives served by Associated Electric took part in the launch of a new program that will take energy efficiency to a much higher level. Associated's "Take Control & Save" program is designed to slow growth on the electric cooperative system while helping members cut rising costs for electricity.
"This is a cost-effective resource for us," says Jim Jura, Associated manager. "The way we are growing, we have to do one of two things. We have to buy generation to meet the demand. Or we have to invest in measures to reduce that demand."
The program roll-out was timely in the wake of a decision by the Associated Board of Directors to postpone indefinitely plans for a new coal-fired power plant. Instead, the Springfield-based generation cooperative will invest in a number of initiatives, including new gas generation and the state's only utility-scale wind farms.
The energy-efficiency program follows a year of study that showed Associated can save 1.9 million megawatt-hours over six years. These negawatts aren't free. Associated will invest $31.1 million to realize these savings.
But that's a small cost compared to the expense of building new generation. And it's expected to have huge savings for the end users.
"The goal of this program is to save money not only at the generator but also at the meter for the members," says Keith Hartner, special assistant to the CEO at Associated. "So we save this energy at a cost of 1.3 cents per kilowatt-hour, and that's energy we don't have to produce from a gas generator at 6 to 10 cents per kilowatt-hour. That's a good deal, I think."
In 2007, Associated conducted two studies to determine whether the program made sense. The first study looked at the age and efficiency of member's appliances.
The second study was an economic evaluation of potential savings. This study showed five areas that would "generate" the most savings:
• Energy-efficient lighting
• Water heater efficiency
• Weatherization
• Heating and cooling efficiency
• Energy Star appliances
• Energy-efficient lighting
• Water heater efficiency
• Weatherization
• Heating and cooling efficiency
• Energy Star appliances
Based on the fact that most electric cooperatives already have energy-efficiency programs in place, Associated designed a cafeteria plan for its member systems.
Co-ops can pick and choose the best approach for members. Some will add their own money to the dollars Associated is providing, offering powerful incentives to help members save.
Energy audits will be an important aspect of the program. These home inspections will show members areas where they can save money. Simple steps to save energy might include wrapping the first 10 feet of hot water pipe from the water heater, caulking around leaky windows and replacing incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents (CFLs).
Associated plans to give away a minimum of 285,000 CFL bulbs.
Rebates — which will vary by cooperative — will reduce the cost and hasten the payback for members wanting to replace inefficient appliances with the new energy-saving ones that carry the Energy Star seal. Other rebates will lower the cost of replacing inefficient heating and cooling systems with ground-source or air-source heat pumps.
More money will be available to help electric co-ops put on energy-efficiency seminars to educate members. Some systems might opt to sponsor the popular Doug Rye radio program. Rye, known as the "King of Talk and Caulk," is an energy-efficiency expert who has identified many ways consumers can save energy.
Several pilot projects will help find new ways to save. One of these will look at double-wide mobile homes.
"Double-wide mobile homes are the biggest energy users on the system, averaging 17,000 kilowatt-hours per year," Hartner says. "The average on the system is a little over 14,000. The national average is a little over 12,000. So you can see there is a disparity between the national average and our top users."
Associated hopes to take a sample of double-wide homes from around the state, conduct an energy audit and fix anything that is wasting energy. Data from these pilot projects will influence the future direction of the program.
Similar pilot projects will look at savings for commercial and industrial users. The study showed potential savings for these loads through more efficient motors and lighting.
Details of the program will be left to local cooperatives to work out. And it will take time for the various aspects of the program to begin. So watch the local pages of Rural Missouri for more information and be sure to attend your co-op's annual meeting.
This program truly is a way members can take control of their electric bill. Associated's "Take Control & Save" program will build upon the work of local electric cooperatives that have long been leaders in energy efficiency.


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Print-friendly version of strategic plan
2019-2020 Strategic Planning Updates
Our mission is to inspire and prepare all students with the confidence, courage and competence to achieve their dreams; contribute to community; and engage in a lifetime of learning.
- Each student articulates, plans for, and progresses toward his/her evolving dreams.
- Each student chooses to contribute to community in a mutually meaningful way.
- Each student demonstrates initiative and persistence to continually learn that which is important to him/her.
- Each student is ready for kindergarten.**
- Each third-grader can read at grade level.**
- Each student graduates from high school.**
- Each student is ready for college and career.**
- The achievement gap is closed on all state-mandated measures.**
** Indicates one of Minnesota's World's Best Workforce goals
- Create transformational system change to ensure equitable student achievement.
- Develop understanding and support of our district's mission and core values among members of our community.
- Engage students and families as partners to achieve our mission and strategic objectives.
- Leverage and align the talents of our employees and the assets of our system to achieve our mission and strategic objectives.
Our Core Values
We believe that—
- lifelong learning is essential for the individual and community to thrive;
- everyone has equal intrinsic value;
- trust is essential to sustaining successful relationships and to achieving results;
- better decisions emerge when diverse perspectives are intentionally included in a collaborative process;
- everyone benefits when cultural differences are acknowledged and understood, and individuals are treated respectfully and equitably; and
- everyone can learn more.
Priority work for 2019-2020, by strategy
We will create transformational system change to ensure equitable student achievement.*
- All sites will engage in the use of culturally responsive instructional strategies.
- At every elementary site, student outcomes and measurements of achievement are aligned, and pre-K is integrated into all school processes.
- All sites will implement culturally responsive, research-based positive behavior intervention practices that include the use of trauma-informed and restorative practices.
- All sites engage in the use of differentiated instructional strategies to support language learner success.
- Students will experience learning that is personalized in path, place, and pace through strengthening teaching and learning practices that support student success.
*Equitable student achievement means:
- Ensuring high levels of achievement for all students, and
- Accelerating growth for students of color and other underperforming groups, in order to
- Close the achievement gap on all state-mandated measures.
We will engage students and families as partners to achieve our mission and strategic objectives.
- The district will implement a systemwide plan to engage and empower families to support their student(s).
We will leverage and align the talents of our employees and the assets of our system to achieve our mission and strategic objectives.
- Employees will identify and respond to the influence of race and culture on learning.
- Effective staff recruitment and retention practices will build toward a workforce that reflects the demographics of enrolled students.
- Implementation of the Enrollment and Capacity Management Framework will lead to increased community trust in the school district through engagement in long-range planning for enrollment and building use.
Additional School Board priorities for 2019-2020
- Onboarding of new superintendent
- Strategic planning
- Referendum decision
Strategy Delimiters
We will not adopt any new program or service unless it is consistent with and contributes to our mission, and is accompanied by the staff development needed for effective implementation; accept any behavior that demeans the worth of any person; and allow past practice to interfere with the consideration of new ideas.


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Are you following WordPress Discover yet? If not, you may be missing out on a quick and easy way to find the best blogs on all sorts of topics, including one on Writing blogs!
Their generous editors not only featured my blog last week, but also tweeted it with some kind and encouraging comments.
"From event listings to calls for submissions, @trishhopkinson's site is a poets' paradise"
"Trish Hopkinson may describe herself as a "selfish poet," but her site is an indispensable community hub for poetry lovers, with news and event listings, writing resources, and much more (including her own poems, of course)."
Since then, I've received several new followers and I've enjoyed checking out the other blogs they've featured, including my friends at The Fem literary magazine.
The purpose of WordPress Discover is to locate "[T]he best content on WordPress, collected for you by humans who love to read" and to "highlight the work of this diverse and global community." You can read more about their Editor's Picks, Features, and Topics here on their About page.
Don't have a WordPress account? No problem, you can keep up with their picks and features by following them on Twitter: https://twitter.com/WPDiscover.
If you like this post, please share with your writerly friends and/or follow my blog or like my Facebook page.
Categories: Writing Resources


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Bordered Collage Custom Colour
Our 4mm acrylic prints are made by experts and are of the highest quality. Printed using professional light safe inks, acrylic lifts your image to a new dimension and gives it a quality you can't get any other way. Perfect for brightening up a bare wall or to give as a special gift, your panel comes with 4 chrome posts for stylish hanging- no hassle required!


text: going to school down in charleston this fall, was wondering if anyone could fill me in on some good spots to surf. I usually surf up near the lavallette area whenever i can. Going to bring a 10' and my fish. dont know what to expect ,though i have visited the area a few times.


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Bing Crosby - Rosemary Clooney Show, there's one key takeaway, and it's that these two know about window treatments! You know how all their songs are about windows? That's no accident. Bing and Rosemary were working their way up to their dream job of being cut and pasted into an Eastern Drapery Hardware ad. It just makes sense, people. Whenever you see a famous person doing a paid endorsement, you should always assume they're personally concerned about your buying choices.
Actually, Eastern was just a sponsor of the show, and part of the deal must have been that Eastern can use the stars' likenesses in their ads. Stupid reality. I was happier imagining Bing and Rosemary working in a curtain factory.
|Click for big.


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Regular price
The Tuareg mats are made with the finest quality camel leather, which is stitched with the Tuareg reed. The experts stitch the mat with perfection and the finishing of the carpet is perfect. It is available in the natural shades of reed and camel. Traditionally the Tuareg mats were not dyed and so the vintage Tuareg mats are available in their real shades.
Name of product : Tuareg mat
Dimensions : 292 cm x 387 cm = 9.5 ft x 12.6 ft
Material : Natural Reed & Leather
Ref# TARZ81-KV
Shipping Methods: Fedex, DHL "Door to Door" for your convenience 2-3 Business Days after handling time anywhere in Africa.All our shipments are insured for lost.——— Store Policy———We gladly accept exchanges 1 day of delivery.We Accept exchange for another item of the same value. In case you want a more expensive item customer must pay the difference.Please Note: We don't accept returns or cancellations.—Contact us—For Urgent Matters:email@example.com: US 607 241 510WhatsApp Moroccan: +212662243355 or US: + 1607 241 510Please Note: We don't accept returns or cancellations.—Contact us—For Urgent Matters:


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Walter Kirn
This event has been cancelled. We regret any inconvenience.
Author of Thumbsucker and Up in the Air Walter Kirn presents the April talk in the Library's Writers at Work series on Thursday, April 9, at 7 p.m. at the Central Library, 14 W. 10th St.
The 2008-09 Writers at Work series features writers who discuss their own work as well as the art of teaching the craft.
Kirn's most recent novel The Unbinding was released as a serial on Slate.com before appearing in print. His other works of fiction include My Hard Bargain: Stories, and She Needed Me.
His novel Thumbsucker was made into a 2005 film featuring Keanu Reeves and Vince Vaughn. Up in the Air has been optioned for film and is currently in production under the direction of Jason Reitman.
His work has also appeared in the New York Times Magazine, the New York Times Book Review, GQ, Vogue, New York, and Esquire.
Writers at Work is organized by Kansas City novelist Whitney Terrell and co-sponsored by Chris Davis and the English Department at UMKC.
Admission is free. Click here or call 816.701.3407 to RSVP. Free parking is available in the Library District Parking Garage at 10th and Baltimore.


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Florence, Italy Hogrefe Editore
Founded in 2012
General Manager Jacopo Tarantino
About us
Hogrefe Editore is the Italian branch of the Hogrefe Publishing Group, Europe's largest publishing group specialized in psychological testing. We are based in Florence and our expert team consisting of psychologists and non-psychologists is passionate to offer the best in our field to our customers. We develop and publish psychological assessments in cooperation with leading Italian research centers for clinical, human resources, guidance counselling and school usage. Our assessments are scientifically sound and constantly developed further using new assessment methods and meeting the needs in the field. As a result, we offer Italian psychologists and other professionals effective and up to date tools.
Core Products and Activities
Our focus at Hogrefe Editore lies on psychological assessments. Our strength in the clinical area is a rich catalog of assessment tools for child psychology (autism, developmental disorders, executive functions, resilience, and trauma), personality questionnaires and tests for forensic psychology and addictions. For companies and organizations, we developed an online HR test portfolio including assessment services, provided by our occupational psychologists. For schools we offer online vocational guidance programs based on the new Life Design paradigm. In addition to our assessment portfolio, we have launched a catalog of publications including professional manuals and books in psychology and associated disciplines.
The Hogrefe Publishing Group founded Hogrefe Editore in 2012. Being part of an international publishing group Hogrefe Editore could build on over sixty years of excellence in the field of publishing psychological assessments. As a young company we grow by embracing the international exchange, offering new opportunities for Italian researchers and professionals.
Hogrefe Editore s.r.l.
V.le A. Gramsci, 42
50132 Florence
+39 055 5320680


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(L-R) Â Chaz Lamar Shepherd (Curtis Taylor, Jr.) Margaret
Hoffman (Michelle Morris) Syesha Mercado (Deena Jones) Moya Angela
(Effie White) Adrienne Warren (Lorrell Robinson) Chester Gregory
(James "thunder" Early)
Dreamgirls Brought Down the House
Dreamgirls Review
By: Elzena Rankins
Sentinel Intern
From the music, to the costumes, to the makeup, to the hair and the upbeat-choreographed dance steps, Dreamgirls was a hit. For a minute I thought I had went through a time machine and ended up in the 1960's, then after all the clapping and shouts of laughter I had realized that I was only experiencing a unique moment in theatre.
In comparison to the movie and the musical, at times I felt as if I was watching the actual movie, every single main character was like a spiting image of the real characters from the movie; Jimmy Early was still the same crazy and hilarious person as he was in the movie. You will also hear a lot of the same great music pieces that we know from the movie, such as: Dreamgirls, And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going, Listen and many more. However there were a couple of new songs that were not in the movie that were added to the musical and although there were a lot of similarities, there were a lot of differences that made the musical its own and unique.
Some of the most memorable musical scores throughout the musical play were, "Steppin" to the Bad Side, which was totally different from the scene in the movie but in a great way. I Want You Baby, performed by Jimmy, Effie, Deena and Lorrell, which had the crowd going, We are Family, Dreamgirls and the song that brought down the house, And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going performed by Effie.
The entire show was a hit, it deserved standing ovation all around. Dreamgirls even brought out the best of the best, celebrities such as Angela Bassett, Nia Long, Kenny Latimore, Cheryl Lee Ralph, Jennifer Holiday, Loretta Devine and many more. Shane Sparks, Co-Choreographer for the musical Dreamgirls, said that he thought that it was one of the better shows. "I saw this show maybe twenty times when I was in New York, everyday, and it's ten times better then it was when I was there." Everyone looked and sounded comfortable and perfect, the wigs and costumes, there were no flaws it was perfect, it was probably the best show I've seen them do, and I've seen it from scratch, I was very proud said Sparks.
Actress and Comedian, Kim Whitley said that she has seen it five times and this time it was breathtaking. This time with the backdrop and the electrical walls made it breathtaking and the performances were outstanding.
If you have not yet seen the incredible musical production, you are missing out, it is a must see as you will experience the time of you life. You will laugh, clap and even cry as you experience the rags to riches story of the Dreamgirls. You have never seen the Dreamgirls like this, so if you loved the movie, you will love the Musical even more.
The Dreamgirls Musical is available now through April 4th at the Ahmanson Theatre. For more information go to CenterTheatregroup.org/Dreamgirls or call 213-972-4400.


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Thursday, November 18, 2010
The Power Of Pumpkins
9 comments:
- The October boy said...
That is just plain amazing, especially the time exposure at dusk. I've seen movie sets that can't hold a candle to that. (no pun intended)
- November 18, 2010 at 12:50 PM
- The Gill-Man said...
The atmosphere in these shots is just amazing! I can practically feel the crisp, Autumn night and smell the pumpkin spice in the air!
- November 18, 2010 at 1:15 PM
- Goneferalinidaho said...
Great photos. Perfectly done.
- November 18, 2010 at 4:33 PM
- Hopsy the beer drinking clown said...
These are really great photos and to think that the proprietors of a small business could make the time to create such an incredibly atmospheric Halloween display is just amazing!
- November 18, 2010 at 4:58 PM
- trickortreat said...
Stunning photos. Beautiful porch, glowing JOL's...I feel a sense of warmth, despite the chilling pumkin-headed skeleton/scarecrows. If I can't live there, I'd love to trick or treat there.
- November 18, 2010 at 5:19 PM
- Pam Morris said...
omg....it looks like a Halloween fantasy world..you're right, it's just beautiful!
- November 18, 2010 at 6:46 PM
- Vintage Seance said...
This is seriously fabulous! Love the whole display!
- November 19, 2010 at 4:38 PM
- Jay's Shadow said...
All of that glowing orange sets the perfect mood...
- November 19, 2010 at 7:26 PM
- ShellHawk said...
If you could just set aside one small floor for me...
- November 20, 2010 at 9:05 PM


text: Members of the Democratic Women's Club of Ocean Pines have been preparing for their annual Military Bridge card party, which will be held Oct. 26 at the Ocean Pines Country Club beginning at 1:30 p.m. The cost is $25 per person. The event is open to the public, men and women. For reservations, contact Felicia Daly at 410-208-1272. Pictured, from left, are Kathy Muncy, Felicia Daly, Jean Louis, Kay Hickman, Laverne Powell and Rosemary Goodman. Submitted Photos


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Emboldened by their soccer team's "triumph" over Brazil, North Korean state television actually allowed yesterday's "revenge" match against Portugal to be broadcast live to its citizens, many of whom may currently be wondering: "Is seven a lot of goals?"
Despite being eliminated (with one match to go) in a legendary drubbing, the North Koreans continue to be the most fascinating squad in the tournament. Their real fans are
probablyactually fake and their fake players are way too real. When four players got scratched from their first game, everyone naturally assumed that they defected. (Then when they showed up for practice the next day, they had one man too many.) Now when their ultra-secretive government decides that for the first time in history they will let fans back home see what their team can do live, well ... they can do better than that. Perhaps Kim Jong-Il's invisible cell phone to coach Kim Jong-Hun didn't have enough bars in Cape Town
Fortunately, TVs are not that common in the Hermit Kingdom and the houses that do have them probably didn't have their electricity turned on anyway. (Ain't no party like a North Korean soccer watching party!) But give some credit to the Dear Leader for showing the whole game before abruptly ending on this note:
The Portuguese won the game and now have four points. We are ending our live broadcast now," a Korean Central Broadcasting commentator said, quickly cutting to footage of factory workers and engineers praising North Korean leader Kim Jong Il.
I guess 1966 shall remain unavenged. However, the next time North Korea sees a Portuguese battleship they are totally gonna sink it.
North Koreans watch live as Portugal crushes team 7-0 [Story and photo via AP]


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Rielle Hunter, former mistress of Senator John Edwards and mother of his love child, is ready for her moment in the sun. Having previously been moved to and from various safe houses to avoid media scrutiny, as though she was in a witness protection program, Hunter is now poised for interviews. The Justice Department has confirmed it will not retry the case of campaign finance fraud against her former beau, and Hunter's publicist says she will now end her "silence."
Hunter is no stranger to the media. A filmmaker herself, she bared all in an interview with GQ in 2010. Describing her affair with Edwards as a "magnetic force field," she told readers, "I know he loves me… I have never had any doubt at all about that."
Hunter is setting the record straight with interviews on ABC's "20/20," and a host of other media appearances. What's new? Her tell-all book, What Really Happened: John Edwards, Our Daughter, and Me. Hunter's PR said, "Ms. Hunter is looking forward to speaking the truth, and we believe [interviewer] Chris Cuomo will allow her story to be told with candor and respect."
The PR Verdict: "D" (It's a Dud) for Rielle Hunter and her forlorn stab at publicity. Hasn't her moment passed?
PR Takeaway: Choosing the right moment is just as important as realizing when that moment has passed. Despite her claim that she remains devoted to Edwards, Hunter risks pulling jurors' reactions out of the woodwork and reigniting lurid details from the trial (and talk of Edward's deceased wife Elizabeth) that Team Edwards is presumably keen to put behind it. Making the transition from "the other woman" to something more neutral is where Hunter's PR salvation lies. Our suggestion: Follow the Camilla Parker-Bowles PR template on how to rehabilitate an image.
What's your PR Verdict–should Rielle Hunter capitalize on her claim to fame or move on? Tell us in Speak Your Mind, below.


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Well I am 36 weeks and 4 days! I have about 10 good, real contractions each day now. And I am already starting to dilate and efface. Baby Watch 2012 has officially started!!! I am keeping my fingers (and legs) crossed until Sunday, when I hit 37 weeks and officially become full term. I had Ava at 37 weeks (the DAY I hit 37 weeks!) but I would really love Archer to stay in a little longer. Being a "wimpy white boy" and all!
I have been reflecting back on when Ava was born a lot lately. Before I knew that she had special needs. Before I had ever heard the words "Angelman Syndrome." I had such high expectations for her life. I wanted her to love the Lord, be a kind person, bring joy to those around her- things I still expect from her. But I also wanted her to go to college, get married, have her own family... expectations that had to change last October. Letting go of those hopes and dreams for her life were hard- one of the hardest things I have done- and I still have moments when I think about her not having a wedding day or knowing the love and joy of becoming a mother...lets just say that sometimes, my heart still breaks a little (or a lot) for those moments lost. But I also realize that having to let go of those expectations for her life has made me a better mother for both her and Archer.
You see, I know that, when Archer is born, I am going to want the same things for his life that I wanted for Ava's when she was born. But I am not going to expect them. Life- ALL LIFE- is a gift. And just because someone isn't born to live the life we expect doesn't mean that they are not born to live the life GOD expects! Ava taught me that. She teaches me a lot. So when we welcome Archer into the world, while there are things that I hope and pray for his life, my one and only expectation is for him to grow into the man the Lord wants him to be.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Great Expectations
Well I am 36 weeks and 4 days! I have about 10 good, real contractions each day now. And I am already starting to dilate and efface. Baby Watch 2012 has officially started!!! I am keeping my fingers (and legs) crossed until Sunday, when I hit 37 weeks and officially become full term. I had Ava at 37 weeks (the DAY I hit 37 weeks!) but I would really love Archer to stay in a little longer. Being a "wimpy white boy" and all!
Posted by The Brewers at 7:16 AM 0 comments
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Archer's Nursery: {Semi-Reveal}
I was really going to wait until we had Archer's crib in his room, but we have hit a speed bump with Ava's bed- ahhh, the joys of designing your own furniture! So I decided to go ahead and show off his room, sans the crib (for now). You will just have to use your imagination on what it will look like after his crib is in place! And I promise to show the pictures after his bed is moved into his room! But here is the rest of the space!!
And you will have to forgive me...you know I am a horrid photographer!!! Sorry!!!
|This is on the wall as you enter his room. It is his daddy's flight patches, framed out in trim and paint.
|As you enter his room... I am still deciding on a rug, if I do one at all. Rugs on carpet- although I have always had one in Ava's room- seem redundant and annoy me to clean.
|To the left of the closet- the letters are just cardboard letters from HobLob painted to look metal!
|Chest of Drawers
|Closet wall
|I just love this poster!
|Plane "dive bombing" above the chest of drawers.
|up close
|Frame box and map print letter above his crib area.
|This is where his crib will live!
|Corner next to his crib, with his soda shop table and chairs.
|Two planes "dog fighting" above his table and chairs. Our resident pilot hung these and got creative with back stories for them!
|Window wall.
|My friend Amanda made this adorable banner for his shower, and as soon as I saw it, I knew that it HAD to go in his room and exactly where to put it!!!
|My thrift store lamp revived and adorable frame!
|Ava's favorite part of the room (besides his closet!)
|We hung the mobile above the chair.
|Changing table.
|And that is it! Oh, one more detail...
|Hook for jacket or bag...isn't it adorable! Found it on Amazon! It is hanging below the FLY letters! Just too cute!
Posted by The Brewers at 9:09 AM 1 comments
Thursday, November 8, 2012
{Lots of} Progress: Nursery
Well I am happy to report that, at almost 34 weeks, the nursery is all but finished!!! "All but" because Ava is still using the crib right now. But her big girl bed is just about there, and so I know it won't be long before we have the crib in it's new home as well!!! Saturday and Sunday I worked hard (with a LOT of help from my mom and Cole) and got the board and batten done. Then I painted the board and batten and picture frame boxes Tuesday night. Then yesterday morning, Cole moved the furniture into place for me and we set to work getting everything put up one the walls (the blue has been painted for weeks so no waiting! YAY!) and putting things away and accessories out. As much as I had been itching to work on decorating it little by little, I kinda love that we had more of a "load in" like they do on design shows! It was fun seeing the room in my head take shape!!! I am waiting to share the pictures (sorry!) until it is totally finished. Like I said, we need to get the crib in and then hang up the model planes and the mobile. But that is it!!! The rest is FINISHED! Sweet Archer won't come home to a construction zone!!!
This entire time we have been working on the nursery, we have been fighting one form of sickness with Ava or the other. Bless her heart! She had an awful stomach bug that just wouldn't leave for about two weeks, and then last night she was up until about 2 am screaming. We think it is an ear infection and we are headed off to the doctor today to find out and hopefully get some medicine. I am so tired of my baby girl being sick!!! She had a myoclonic seizure episode day before yesterday- the first of that kind- and I was told by other AS parents that those can be a sign of impending sickness. Sure enough.... but at least now I know! And her neuro has changed her seizure medicine so hopefully that will remedy any other episodes we have like that.
I promise to share pictures of both kids rooms as soon as the beds are in place!!! I still haven't hung anything on Ava's walls (except the peg board and window treatments) so her room is still very, well, GREEN when you walk in. I can't wait to get her MASSIVE white bed in there and some things on the walls to tone it down a bit! HAHA!
Posted by The Brewers at 8:06 AM 1 comments
Monday, November 5, 2012
Getting There...
This weekend was much more productive than I expected, and as a result, we are nearly finished with the board and batten on the walls! Ava did much better Saturday and yesterday with the nail gun noise. I think that it was because she didn't feel good last weekend when we were trying to work on it. Saturday, my mom came over and we finished putting all of the rails up. Basically we did everything but the top trim and the picture frame moulding. Saturday night after Ava went to bed, I got busy and caulked everything that we had done to that point. Sunday, I was able to get the top trim up (with help on the angles from Cole- I am horrible with angles) as well as the picture frames! Then last night- after folding 4 baskets of laundry and doing the dishes/cleaning the kitchen- I finished caulking and got the room ready for paint! YAY!!! I plan on painting all this week during nap times. Cole asked me if I was nesting. I told him that I knew it wasn't nesting because I wasn't feeling compulsive about it. I just want it finished!!!
I really didn't want to share any pictures of the room until it is totally finished, but last night I propped the airplane panels (which I have now decided will go above the changing table...) on the top rail just to get an idea of how it looks. I snapped this picture with my phone, so sorry for the poor quality. But I am so excited! I can't wait to get it all finished!!!! YAY!!!
The panels will be hung on the wall, of course. But I am so glad that they are as big as they are! I had worried they might be too big. And they were, for what I originally intended (you may recall I was going to hang them above the closet doors). But I think they are going to be great here and give the room some much needed balance, since all of the other walls are pretty "heavy" aesthetically.
And even though the room isn't finished, I wanted to go ahead and give the details of the products and budget. I know, when I read a blog about a room redo, I am always interested in where something came from or how much something cost, so I wanted to do that for Archer's room.
Furniture: The crib, changing table/dresser, and chest of drawers are all from the Bonavita Peyton collection. This is the furniture that Ava used, and we will use it for all of our kids. We bought ours from a local children's boutique (Pickles and Ice Cream), but you can get them online too. All three pieces ran us about $1700.00. Which is a lot for baby furniture, I know. But it has held up really well, is extremely well made, and will convert to "big kid" furniture when the time comes.
Glider: My parents got us our glider as a Christmas gift the year before Ava was born. It is a Shermag brand and has an ottoman. We really love it! It is really comfortable and locks in place so tiny fingers don't get smashed once they are mobile. I have no idea how much ours was, but Target has some in the same brand for around 160.00-200.00.
Board & Batten: We ended up spending about $130 on supplies for the board & batten. We were lucky in that my dad had all of the tools we needed and we didn't have to rent or buy any. We went with the cut up MDF boards, and had we not done the trim at the top and the picture frame mouldings, we could have gotten everything for around $80. But I am glad we topped it off with the piece of trim. A little more work and money, but it makes a big impact!!!
Paint: 4 gallons at $20/each. We used Glidden Paint+Primer+Fill, and I was really pleased with it, as was our painter that we hired to do the navy. The top is Glidden Rich Navy & the bottom was a custom match to our trim color. Hiring the painter only cost us $40, and was worth 10x that!!! He is awesome and is super good!
Curtains: I found the curtains at Bed, Bath, & Beyond for about 29.99 per panel, which is a great price for 84" length! I bought two panels, and will use them with the rod and sheers we already had in the room. I am still undecided on the window treatments, but these were an economical solution that I won't feel too guilty about changing later if I decided to do so!
Bedding: The bedding for the room came mostly from Restoration Hardware Baby and Child. The bumper was a bit of a splurge (compared to some) but honestly it was the only one I could find that I really loved. It was $139, and the mobile (also RHBC) was $49. I got them both 20% off during a friends and family sale! YAY! The crib skirt is being made from a RHBC sheet set that ran us $129. A little pricey, but worth every penny when you see how cute it all looks together! Plus we had a lot of the fabric left, so I was able to do other things with it like cover a lamp shade and little chairs! I got the crib sheets from Target for about $15 each. They are just solid navy and I couldn't bring myself to spend $44 for ONE crib sheet from RHBC!
Accessories: I am doing this all from memory, but I will do my best to run down the list... this will give you some hints as to what is in the room, too! ;)
- LAMP: $7 at Habitat for Humanity Restore, plus a $12 cover it yourself shade at hoblob, plus metallic spray paint.
- FLY letters: 3 at $2.50/ea from hoblob, plus metallic spray paint (???)
- GLOBE: $10ish at Habitat for Humanity Restore
- "A": $12 at hoblob, plus modge podge to apply map (which was free)
- KEEP CALM PRINT: $16 on etsy, plus $26 for frame at hoblob (on sale, marked down from $50.00)
- AIRPLANE PANELS: I honestly don't remember too well, but I want to say I spent about $30 on the entire project. The real cost was time, labor, and mess!!!
- METAL PLANES: various prices, from $6.00-$20.00 at hoblob, although I lucked out and bought mine from a friend of a friend who was selling the same ones I had been eyeing at the store! I got three for the price of one!!!! SCORE!
Hopefully soon, I will be sharing the final pictures!!!
Posted by The Brewers at 1:17 PM 0 comments
Friday, November 2, 2012
{Lack of} Progress: Nursery
I have had several people ask me how Archer's nursery is coming... well, let me tell you- it's not! I had grand ideas of having all of the boards on the walls so that I could use this past week to caulk and paint and that we would be putting the finishing touches on it this weekend! HAHA! I crack myself up!!!
We started working on it last weekend. It was a bit ill-fated from the start, I am afraid. I started using furring strips, but after sanding, and sanding, and- yes- more sanding, I realized they were just too rough. So we went back and got MDF boards cut into strips. I painted those and we got to work. But sadly, Ava isn't a fan of the nail gun or air compressor. So while I have most of the top rail boards cut, only two are on the wall as of this moment. Cole is back on hitch at work, and it is definitely a two person project. My mom has promised to come over tomorrow (Saturday) and help me make some progress. So I am hoping that works out, somehow. Still not sure what we are going to do with Ava? Oh, and I forgot to mention that Ava came down with the longest, worst stomach bug (not the vomiting kind- the other kind...) that same weekend. And is just now getting over it! YUCK!
The good news is that, after we get the board and batten complete, it is time to put the room together!!! SOOO excited! Especially since we have about 4 weeks until I am "full term" (37 weeks pregnant- which is when Ava was born!). I still think Archer is a little more comfy and will stay put longer than Ava did. Hope so! Looking at the calendar for December, we don't have time for him to come before the induction date! HAHA! Oh well! He will come when he is ready and we will welcome him no matter when that is! I am secretly hoping he comes on 12/12/12! What a cool birthday that would be! And the last time anyone this century has such a birthday!!!
Posted by The Brewers at 8:50 AM 0 comments


text: Holy Ghost Father, member of Congregation of the Holy Ghost and of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, byname Spiritans (C.S.Sp.), a Roman Catholic society of men founded in 1703 at Paris by Claude-François Poullart des Places. Originally intended only for the training of seminarians, the congregation gradually took an active part in missionary work. Suppressed by the French Revolution, it was restored under Napoleon, but persecution kept it weak until 1848, when the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary merged with it, and Francis Libermann, a convert from Judaism, became its superior general. The congregation pioneered in the resumption of African missions in the 1800s. Besides its missionary efforts, it carries on educational and social works.


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Five-star football recruit Davonte Neal let the excitement of National Signing Day pass him by, electing to make his decision today at an elementary school in his hometown of Scottsdale, Arizona. Recruiting pros said the decision would be between Arizona, Notre Dame, North Carolina, and Arkansas—with Notre Dame and Arizona being at the top of Neal's list.
This morning's event has passed, and it seems Notre Dame and Arizona are still at the top of Davonte Neal's list, as the WR/Athlete prospect never showed for the event. Fox Sports Arizona aired the whole thing live online, and here's the "highlights," with host Mark McClune doing his best to make something of what became a non-event. (FS Arizona columnist Craig Morgan's visible anger as he speaks with McClune at the end is priceless.)
Update (3:38 p.m.): Neal finally showed up at the elementary school, apologized to the kids, and announced he's committing to Notre Dame. That's per Inna Lazarev, who's featured briefly in the above video and who posted a photo of Neal announcing the decision.


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Vietnam National University of Forestry had a meeting with University of Fribourg, SwitzerlandApr 13, 2017 2:53 PM
During the meeting both the University of Fribourg, Switzerland and the Vietnam National University used the opportunity to introduce their training programs, scientific research activities as well as implemented international projects.
Afterwards the signing ceremony of the Memory of Understanding (MoU) has been carried out formally with presented by president of VNUF prof. Dr. Tran Van Chu. The MOU was signed in the spirit of cooperation and support for mutual benefits. The two sides will development of mutually beneficial academic and training programs; exchange of staff for the purpose of teaching, research and extension; coordination of such activities as joint research, publication and transfer of technology; exchange of documentation and research material in fields of mutual interests; organization of conferences.
On behalf of VNUF, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hoang Van Sam - Director of the International Cooperation Division expressed his thanks to Prof. Dr. Gregor Kozlowski and briefly introduced about Vietnam's biodiversity, some achievements about research and training in botany of the VNUF. Prof. Dr. Gregor Kozlowski has introduced scholarships that lecturers and students from VNUF can apply to study in University of Fribourg and some programs that both Universities can work together.
At the end of the meeting, both institutions demonstrated their strong belief in the closer collaboration and committed to expanding relationships in multiple areas. On the same day, Prof. Dr. Gregor Kozlowski and delegation visit the botanical garden of the VNUF.
Some pictures of the meeting:
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- Workshop on Sustainable Forest Management
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- Academic exchange with Dr. Heidi Stockhaus, Germany
Apr 7, 2017 1:45 PM


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Daily Life
An inmate's daily life in jail depends largely on what classification level they are assigned and what unit they are assigned to. Inmates are allowed out of their cells or assigned sleeping areas for 3 to 16 hours per day, depending on which housing unit they are in. Inmates with the lowest custody classifications are generally assigned to housing units with the most "time out." These times can vary as needed for disciplinary sanctions or to ensure the safety and security of our inmates, officers and facility.
Inmates are allowed to communicate with the outside world via US Mail, telephone and through video visitation.
· Mail - Indigent inmates are provided with 3 postage paid envelopes per week. Inmates with money on their commissary accounts are expected to purchase their own envelopes. More info…
· Telephone – Inmates may use the telephone during their "out time." They are allowed to make collect calls, or to purchase calling cards from commissary. In addition people in the community can establish a pre-paid account with the jail's phone service provider. More info…
· Video Visitation – Visitation is allowed via video conference terminals that are located in each housing unit. These terminals are connected to similar terminals in the jail lobby. Visitors from outside the local area may be accommodated via Internet visitation. More info…
Inmates at the Benton County Jail have access to a commissary service. This service provides them with the opportunity to purchase things that they may need while incarcerated. Items available include: personal hygiene, snack food, correspondence materials, drawing supplies, playing cards, and phone cards.
Inmates accounts are maintained by our commissary clerks and all expense incurred while incarcerated here are charged to that account including fees for medical care. Debts owed to the County from previous incarcerations are collected as money is deposited at a 60/40 split.
Additional information on adding money to inmate accounts is available here.


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text:
Gamel gives Brew Crew powerful bat
The Milwaukee Brewers' affiliates struggled across all classifications in 2011, posting a composite winning percentage (.466) that ranked second-to-last among all 30 franchises.
The Triple-A Nashville Sounds finished two games below .500 and nine games behind the leaders in the Pacific Coast League's American Northern Division, and the Huntsville Stars missed out on a playoff spot after posting the Southern League's worst record (27-40) in the second half.
Class A Advanced Brevard County overcame a disappointing first half to challenge for the Florida State League's Northern Division crown, only to miss the postseason by four games, while the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers failed to finish better than fourth in either half of the Midwest League's Western Division standings.
In the Pioneer League, short-season Helena compiled a 30-46 record overall and did not challenge for a playoff berth.
Still, there were some outstanding individual performances from players at all levels, proving the organization has talent throughout the system.
Catcher -- Martin Maldonado, Huntsville (64 games), Nashville (39 games), Milwaukee (3 games): Maldonado set career marks in virtually every offensive category this season. Now in his seventh year of pro ball, the 25-year-old smacked 11 homers and plated 59 runs in 103 games -- all personal bests -- between the Southern League and Pacific Coast League.
No catcher in the Milwaukee system went yard more than Maldonado, who also scored 47 runs and drew 35 walks. He was rewarded with his Major League debut as a defensive replacement on Sept. 3 in Houston, and he went on to appear in two more games off the bench against Cincinnati and Florida.
"He's a very good defensive catcher, and it started to click with the bat," said Reid Nichols, Milwaukee's director of player development. "He's a solid defender who handles the pitching staff well and shuts down the running game. He's a competitor. I like him a lot."
"He's a tremendous defensive catcher, without question," added Darnell Coles, the Brewers' Minor League hitting coordinator. "Was he able to make adjustments hitting-wise to make himself better? Absolutely.
"He did a great job understanding his deficiencies and seeing what he needed to do to improve. The numbers speak for themselves. He went up in average, he went up in home runs, doubles, all across the board. He's put himself in a position to maybe make the Major League team as a backup."
First base -- Mat Gamel, Nashville (128 games), Milwaukee (10 games): The slugging infielder had quite the year. His 28 homers and 96 RBIs topped all Brewers farmhands, while his .310 average was third-highest in the system. The former fourth-rounder spent the entire year with Triple-A Nashville, his third season at that level, with the exception of 10 Major League games in June and July when he was called up for interleague action.
Gamel has seen time with the Brewers in each of the last four seasons. Following his third straight year of growth in the Pacific Coast League, it may just be a matter of time before he lands a regular job there. Prince Fielder's free agent negotiations this winter could impact whether the Florida native starts 2012 in the big leagues.
"There's no doubt Mat can swing the bat," said Nichols. "He's a talented individual, and he's a good hitter all round. He has the talent to hit, and he's getting better defensively. He's another one of our standouts. I think he has a chance to make the team [in 2012]. He'll have to come into Spring Training ready to play at his peak performance. The one thing we know he will do is swing the bat."
Second base -- Scooter Gennett, Brevard County (134 games): Gennett followed up his All-Star rookie season in Wisconsin in 2010 with an equally impressive year with the Manatees in the Florida State League. Selected in the 16th round of the 2009 Draft out of Sarasota High School in Florida, the 5-foot-9 left-hander seemed to handle the jump in class without growing pains.
Milwaukee's No. 5 prospect, Gennett hit .300 with 20 doubles, nine homers and 51 RBIs en route to being named to a mid- and postseason All-Star. Among his highlights was a 16-game hitting streak between April 21 and May 7 -- during which he hit .440 -- and a quartet of four-hit games, including a 4-for-4 effort at home against Tampa on June 26 when he fell a triple shy of the cycle.
"He's a consistent contact hitter. He has a plan and he stays with his plan," said Nichols. "He improved at second base this year -- he made some outstanding plays, and he was more consistent on the regular plays. Scooter's doing well in the Fall League now, batting against pitchers two levels up. He's doing more than holding his own there. He's impressing people."
Coles added: "Scooter understands what it takes to hit. He's just a pure hitter. He methodically works himself around the field and knows what he needs to do to prepare every day. He understands who's pitching, what the pitcher throws, what that pitcher's out-pitch is. He doesn't worry about the guy pitching tomorrow -- he's worried about the guy going today.
"He loves to hit in clutch situations, and he wants to be the guy. He thrives on it. He's pretty special."
Third base -- Taylor Green, Nashville (120 games), Huntsville (3 games), Milwaukee (20 games): Green was about as productive a hitter as they come in 2011, leading all Brewers Minor Leaguers with a combined .336 average between Huntsville and Nashville. He also drove in 91 runs -- the second-highest tally -- and he smacked 22 homers -- third in the system.
His .413 on-base percentage was fifth-best in the Pacific Coast League, but the real story of Green's season came post-All-Star break. After hitting just .222 in April and .268 in May, Green went on a tear. He hit .398 in 26 June games and .383 overall in the second half. In July alone, the native of Canada blasted six homers with 29 RBIs, 23 walks and 22 runs scored in 29 appearances.
"He's gotten it for a couple years -- he just got it a little more this year," said Nichols. "He was very impressive. It was a justified call-up for him and to be on the playoff roster. He got quicker defensively, and his range side-to-side got better. He just got better all around."
"Taylor's unbelievable," Coles added. "He made some minor adjustments and a lot of that was me and [Triple-A hitting coach] Sandy [Guerrero] sitting down and going over what he needed.
"He made some changes that allowed him to stay inside the baseball and become a good two-strike hitter. He understands when to drive the ball and when to put the ball in play. Ultimately, once you get to the big leagues, unless you're going to unseat Price [Fielder] -- which is unlikely -- you're going to have to do a lot of other things that will allow you to be successful."
Shortstop -- Yadiel Rivera, Helena (74 games), Wisconsin (32 games): Rivera celebrated his first full year in the Minors with a Pioneer League postseason All-Star selection. Selected in the ninth round of the 2010 Draft, the shortstop hit a combined .236 with nine homers and 43 RBIs over 106 games.
He also smacked 16 doubles, legged out eight triples and scored 53 runs. No shortstop in the system had more homers, triples or RBIs than Rivera, who struggled in his first look at the Midwest League but looked much more comfortable playing rookie ball in the second half.
"He's got great potential, and he's playing guys who are two, three and four years older than he is," said Nichols. "He's still growing. He's an inch or two taller than he was at the start of spring, and he's going through some changes with his body that he's adjusting to. He's got some leverage in his swing, and he's at the right place at the right time defensively. The game slows down for him. I think he'll be average across the board with the bat and above-average defensively."
Added Coles: "He's something special -- 6-foot-3, maybe 6-foot-4. He may outgrow shortstop. He's got some kind of easy power. If you watch him take batting practice, he almost swings like [16-year Major League veteran] Wally Joiner. He doesn't swing very hard, but the ball jumps off his bat. He's a special talent."
Brock Kjeldgaard, Brevard County (65 games), Huntsville (61 games): The 25-year-old slugger mashed 24 long balls in 2011, second only to Gamel in the organization. Kjeldgaard hit a combined .270 with 18 doubles and 76 RBIs between the two levels, hammering 18 of his homers in the Class A Advanced Florida State League.
Despite starting 5-for-33 (.135), Kjeldgaard found his groove toward the end of May when he was named the FSL's Player of the Week for three consecutive weeks. Among his season highlights was a seven-RBI, two-homer game against St. Lucie on May 17 and back-to-back multi-homer performances against Daytona on June 4 and 5.
"Brock is a Canadian kid who probably didn't get as much playing time growing up as the rest of the professional players, so he's had to take a little more time to adjust," Nichols said.
"I don't know what happened to him, but in the middle of the year he looked like a different hitter. He had very high strikeout totals until that stretch of the season and then something clicked with him and he turned a corner. He started making contact, and hard contact."
"You're talking a special young man, a special kid," said Coles. "He works hard and goes beyond the call of duty. He understands himself as a player and he has tremendous power.
"He had a great first half in Brevard, then he didn't play right away in Double-A because he would DH one day, play the outfield the next day and then sit the third day. He got to where he was comfortable with that role and then he played a lot more. The rest is history. He has tremendous upside."
Khris Davis, Brevard County (90 games), Huntsville (35 games): Davis spent the first three months in the Florida State League before graduating to the Double-A Stars. The outfielder hit .309 with 15 homers and 68 RBIs for the Manatees and .210 with a pair of homers and 16 RBIs upon his call-up to the Southern League.
Across the two classifications, Davis' 84 RBIs ranked third among all Brewers Minor Leaguers and first among outfielders. In his third year of pro ball, the former seventh-round Draft pick was also named to the Florida State League's midseason All-Star team, a feat he accomplished in the Midwest League the previous year.
"He has a big league swing. At the plate you'll see him change his approach at times to where he wants to go more toward right field, and he's able to do that against pretty good pitching," said Nichols. "He has good bat control and he needs to stay with the same plate approach with every pitch."
"While Brock has as much pure power as you're going to see, in Davis' case he has a tremendous knack for hitting the ball to right-center field," Coles added. "He stays inside the ball really well, but he gets in trouble when he tries to pull a little too much.
"His power is straightaway and to gaps. He hits a lot of doubles and drives in a lot of runs. He studies a lot on how he's being pitched and pitchers' tendencies. He does his homework."
T.J. Mittelstaedt, Wisconsin (113 games): After appearing in just 45 games in his rookie season in the Arizona League last year, Mittelstaedt spent all of 2011 in the Class A Midwest League. He hit .293 and drew 76 walks, giving him a .410 on-base percentage that ranked second in the league.
The 23-year-old, who hit in every spot in the lineup, smacked a dozen homers, swiped 28 bases and scored 72 runs. He predominantly manned left field, but he also saw time in right, at second base and as the team's designated hitter. Completing his utility makeup, Mittelstaedt also pitched in two games, tossing a scoreless inning on each occasion.
"T.J. has done a great job coming in as a guy battling for a position, but he's shown our organization that he can take pitches, take close pitches, work the count, see a lot of pitches per at-bat and help the guys behind him and the guys in front of him," Nichols said.
"He's a fantastic utility guy who swings the bat well," said Coles. "He puts the ball in play. He's a headsy player like Willie Bloomquist. He plays every place well, he understands when to bunt and he reads the game well."
Utility -- Hunter Morris, Brevard County (126 games), Huntsville (4 games): Morris looked sharp in his second season in the Minors. A fourth-round pick out of Auburn, first baseman Morris hit .274 with 20 homers, 69 RBIs, 29 doubles and seven stolen bases.
His 20 long balls ranked fourth in the system. Morris hit safely in 12 of his first 13 games of the year, and he went deep three times in four games from April 23-29. One of his biggest performances came in a 19-9 rout of the St. Lucie Mets on May 17 when he went 4-for-5 with three doubles, four RBIs, five runs scored and a walk.
Michael Walker hit 15 homers and plated 72 runs for Wisconsin, and Kentrail Davis, Milwaukee's No. 8 prospect, swiped 33 bases, legged out eight triples, slugged eight homers and recorded 46 RBIs for the Manatees.
Right-handed starting pitcher -- Michael Fiers, Huntsville (22 games), Nashville (12 games), Milwaukee (2 games): Fiers led all Milwaukee pitchers in both wins (13) and ERA (1.86) on his way to an All-Star season. He was 5-3 with a 2.64 ERA in 22 games -- including eight starts -- with the Stars before going 8-0 with a sparkling 1.11 ERA in 12 appearances with Triple-A Nashville.
His ERA would have ranked first in both leagues if he had enough innings. One of his finest starts came in his penultimate outing of the year, when he scattered three hits and struck out nine batters over nine scoreless innings in his first career shutout.
Also worth mentioning are Brewers No. 2 prospect Tyler Thornburg, owner of a 7-0 record and 1.57 ERA in Wisconsin; top prospect Wily Peralta, who compiled an 11-7 mark in 26 games between Huntsville and Nashville; and Frankie De La Cruz, who won seven Triple-A games and earned a call-up to Milwaukee.
"You had a good group to pick from, but Fiers had the best results," Nichols said. "He's a guy that pitches above his perceived abilities.
"He's got an average fastball and at times he'll throw an above-average changeup. He's got a below hitting speed curveball that hitters have a hard time adjusting to, and he'll throw in in most counts. He's not afraid to throw it behind in the count. He mixes his pitches so well.
"Thornburg is a standout in the group, too. He has a plus fastball and a big curve, a bit of an unorthodox delivery and some deception."
Left-handed starting pitcher -- Dan Merklinger, Huntsville (28 games): Merklinger went 9-9 with a 4.10 ERA and 133 strikeouts over 158 innings -- all first among left-handers -- in 28 starts with the Stars. Only Thornburg (160) and Peralta (157) had more punchouts in the entire organization.
Merklinger, who allowed fewer hits (156) than innings pitched, was particularly effective in the second half of the season when he knocked a run off his ERA (4.63 to 3.66) and threw the first complete game of his career. The 2011 season marked solid growth for the former sixth-round Draft pick, who made 25 of his 27 appearances last year in the Florida State League.
"Merk is a good left-hander. He battled some inconsistency, but he started to get more comfortable in uncomfortable situations, which will help him big time," said Nichols. "His curveball is his best pitch, his changeup is good and he works the plate with his fastball. The key to it is keeping the hitters off balance. He works front to back well."
Relief pitcher -- Santo Manzanillo, Brevard County (28 games), Huntsville (20 games): Manzanillo saved 17 games across two levels this year, the second most in the organization behind Greg Holle (19). But while Holle posted a 4.57 ERA in 41 games in the Midwest League, Manzanillo recorded a 1.52 ERA in 28 Florida State League outings and a 2.21 mark in 20 games for Double-A Huntsville coming off an injury-plagued '09.
The 22-year-old native of the Dominican Republic improved in almost every meaningful statistical category from a year ago when he posted an unsightly 5.77 ERA in 26 games with Wisconsin. The differences came from limiting hitters to a .194 batting average and striking out more than one batter an inning.
"He's a plus-plus fastball guy with a good slider," said Nichols. "He's taken some time, but the time it's taken has solidified his approach. You really have to develop that kind of makeup and he is in the process of doing that. I do believe he has the capability to be that kind of pitcher.
"Holle was used well by our staff. He's a fastball-slider guy and we're working on getting him a third pitch to get a little more difference in the speed of the pitches."
Ashley Marshall is a contributor to MLB.com.


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Startup Makes Doctors Accessible By Phone, Email
Name: Sherpaa
Quick Pitch: The startup offers members 24/7 access to Sherpaa's network of doctors by phone or email, for no additional cost.
Genius Idea: Sherpaa helps startups procure optimal health insurance plans.
Meet the health company that tech startups are choosing to cover their employees: Sherpaa.
Its clients include Tumblr, Skillshare and Greatist.
Sherpaa specializes in matching startups with the best-fitting health insurance plans. High-quality care shouldn't equate to exorbitant costs.
"It's really confusing to secure healthcare," co-founder Cheryl Swirnow, a HR guru with 10 years of experience, tells Mashable. "What we are seeing really often is either companies are overspending and having way too much coverage for what their employees are actually using. Or, they have selected the least expensive plan that doesn't have enough coverage for what the employees need."
Swirnow leads Sherpaa's efforts in human resources. The process begins by surveying an organization's employees to learn more about their needs. The HR team then prescribes the perfect insurance plan and goes to bid. The company does not benefit financially in any way from connecting startups with insurance companies.
For Sherpaa, helping inexperienced startups with complicated HR needs is just a small part of its overall plan to change the state of healthcare.
The New York-based company also offers members 24/7 access to doctors over the phone and email. Immediate medical advice is always available. Subsequent in-person care with a specialist is also attainable when necessary.
If you wake up with a bad rash or cut yourself at night, you can send a picture of it to a Sherpaa "guide." The on-call doctor will either give you self-care instructions or schedule an appointment with an area specialist for a serious injury.
Doctors and specialists on-staff are also available to diagnosis mysterious aches and pains virtually. Doctors will ask the questions that normally apply with in-office visits. If it's serious, the guides will be able to schedule an appointment with a specialist right away.
This process will cut unnecessary expenses and emergency room visits out of the healthcare equation. Prescriptions can also be filled over the Internet without a doctor's visit — employees can save their vacation days.
"We want to increase accessibility to doctors in a sort of real way, in a really human way," Sherpaa co-founder Dr. Jay Parkinson, who earned the title The Doctor of the Future after launching his virtual practice based in Williamsburg, Brooklyn in 2007, tells Mashable.
Sherpaa was founded upon the idea that technology can make healthcare less expensive for patients. Behind the startup's healthcare model is a decentralized network of nearly 100 doctors who believe it's possible to reinvent healthcare.
"We just wanted to create a service that makes people happy," Parkinson says. "In healthcare, it's really unheard of. It's really hard."
The service is currently offering its services in New York and plans to expand to other cities including San Francisco soon.
Would you prefer to email or call a doctor in minor medical emergencies? Tell us in the comments.
Image courtesy of Flickr, vonKinder


text:
English Language Proficiency (TOEFL)
1. Students who have a TOEFL iBT score of 80 or higher when applying for admission will be interviewed by an English as Second Language (ESL) instructor before classes begin to determine speaking proficiency in English. Students may be required to take ESL courses in order to fulfill the Global Language Proficiency requirement.
2. Students who submit a TOEFL iBT score lower than 80 when applying for admission will complete (with a grade of C or better) two semesters of ESL at CSB/SJU.
ELS Language Centers
International students needing intensive English instruction prior to enrollment are referred to one of the 45 ELS Language Centers in the United States. Completion of level 112 is accepted as proof of English proficiency. The nearest ELS language center to CSB/SJU is located in St. Paul, Minnesota (a 1.5 hour drive from CSB/SJU) but students may attend any of the centers across the country. For more information contact Elaine Matyi at the ELS program at: [email protected] or at 651-962-5990 (phone) or 651-962-5991 (fax).
If you have questions about TOEFL, contact:
[email protected]
Fax: 609-771-7500


text:
Ainge: Rondo should be back by training camp
Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said Monday he expects Rajon Rondo to be ready for Celtics training camp in October after he was declared out for the season Sunday with a torn right anterior cruciate ligament.
"Rajon will get surgery in 10 to 14 days, when the swelling is right and we anticipate that he'll back and as good as ever in training camp," Ainge said. "(Kendrick Perkins) Perk came back in six months and that's a little bit unusual and Adrian Peterson came back in six months and so did Wes Welker. I guess every body is a little bit different and [with] every injury there's some differences."
Ainge said he has no plans to make immediate trades or major roster changes. The Celtics are currently in the eighth and final playoff spot but are just 5 1/2 games behind third-seeded Chicago after their double-overtime win Sunday over the Miami Heat.
"We'll see what transpires here the next few weeks with this team," Ainge said. "We're waiting. We're waiting to see who's all available and see what our needs are. Right now we have no needs. We got 11 healthy bodies and it's tough to get those 11 guys on the court. We have good healthy players that can't get the time they deserve and they want so we have no need right now. We'll see over the next few weeks what we need."
When asked whether the Celtics can accomplish their lofty preseason season goals without Rondo, he said didn't know.
"We'll wait and see the next few weeks. We have to give it a shot. It's a hand we're dealt."
Meanwhile, according to an NBA source, former Celtic Delonte West, now playing with the Texas Legends of the NBADL, is interested in returning to Boston. West last played for the Celtics during an injury plagued 2010-11 season.
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